Maryland’s governor, social issue groups react to North Carolina vote

WASHINGTON – Opponents of same sex marriage in Maryland say the vote in North Carolina underscores their position, that marriage should be restricted to heterosexual couples.

Derek McCoy, Executive Director for the Marriage Alliance of Maryland, called the North Carolina vote “a victory for marriage.”

McCoy’s group is leading an effort to repeal Maryland’s same sex marriage law.

Legislation allowing gay couples to marry passed in Maryland’s legislature this year with the backing of Governor Martin O’Malley. McCoy points out that every time the issue has been put to the voters, they have elected to restrict marriage to heterosexual couples.

When asked to comment on the results in North Carolina, Governor O’Malley told reporters he believes that Maryland voters will buck the national trend, “In our state, whenever given the opportunity of moving forward or slipping back, our people always choose to move forward.”

McCoy responds “every single time this has been put before voters and the citizens of America, the citizens have voted that marriage is defined as being between one man and one woman and in North Carolina it was no different.” McCoy says his group is well on its way to getting the more than 55,000 signatures needed to put the issue to a referendum in November.